Washington
Commanders
2-8
21
FINAL
24
Arizona
Cardinals
7-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 12 matchup, the Arizona Cardinals narrowly defeated the Washington Commanders with a final score of 24-21. This victory was crucial for Arizona as they continue their push for a playoff spot, while the Commanders look to regroup after a hard-fought battle.
Sam Darnold was the star for the Cardinals, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to lead the offense effectively. Meanwhile, Kyle Pitts Sr emerged as a key target, racking up 135 receiving yards and proving to be a reliable option in critical moments. On the ground, Tony Pollard led the Commanders with 75 rushing yards but struggled to find the end zone.
Defensively, the Cardinals made their mark with two crucial interceptions by Jessie Bates III, which shifted momentum in their favor. The turning point came late in the third quarter when Bates picked off a pass that set up Darnold's third touchdown, pushing Arizona ahead and forcing the Commanders to play catch-up. Chris Jones was a standout for Washington, recording five tackles and three sacks, but it wasn't enough to secure the win as the Cardinals held off a late surge.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | QB | 30 | 18 | 60% | 217 | 3 | 3 | 75.9 |
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 25 | 12 | 48% | 121 | 2 | 2 | 55.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pollard | HB | 8 | 75 | 9.4 | 38 | 1 | 73 | 0 |
| Sam Darnold | QB | 5 | 69 | 13.8 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| J.J. McCarthy | QB | 9 | 63 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 11 | 56 | 5.1 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Nyheim Miller-Hines | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 7 | 135 | 19.3 | 24 | 1 | 52 | 1 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 6 | 62 | 10.3 | 27 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 4 | 25 | 6.3 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| Mason Taylor | TE | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Jakobi Meyers | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Marquise Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tony Pollard | HB | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Jones | DT | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaishawn Barham | WILL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Johnson | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Bosa | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Jones | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Teair Tart | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Newsome II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Keeanu Benton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nik Bonitto | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Travis Hunter | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jordan Fuller | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 50 |

